noife as if all the artillery in the world had been at once discharged. Our traveller, being obliged to alight inftantly, felt himself raifed a foot from the ground; and tu ning his eyes to the city, he with amazement faw nothing but a thick cloud of duft in the air. The birds flew about aftonished; the fun was darkened; the beafts ran howling from the hills; and although the fhock did not continue above three minutes, yet near nineteen thousand of the inhabitants of Sicily perifhed in the ruins. Catanea, to which city the defcriber was travelling, feemed the principal fcene of ruin; its place only was to be found; and not a footstep of its former magnificence was to be feen remaining. SECTION VI. Creation. GOLDSMITH.. In the progrefs of the Divine works and government, there arrived a period in which this earth was to be called. into existence. When the fignal moment, predeftined from all eternity, was come, the Deity arofe in his might; and with a word created the world. What an illustrious moment was that, when, from nonexistence, there fprangat once into being, this mighty globe, on which fo many millions of creatures now dwell! No preparatory measures were required. No long circuit of means was employed.. "He fpake; and it was done he commanded; and it ftood aft. The earth was at firft without form, and. void; and darkness was on the face of the deep." The Almighty furveyed the dark abyfs; and fixed bounds to the feveral divifions of nature. He faid, "let there be light; and there was light" Then appeared the fea, and the dry land. The mountains rofe; and the rivers flowed. The fun and moon began their courfe in the fkies. Herbs and plants clothed the ground. The air, the earth, and the waters, were ftored with their respective inhabitants. At last, man was made after the image of God. He appeared, walking with countenance erect; and received his Creator's benediction, as the lord of this new world. The Almighty beheld his work when it was finished; and pronounced it GOOD. Superior beings faw with wonder this new acceffion to exiftence. "The morning ftars fang together; and all the fons of God fhouted for joy." BLAIR. SECTION VII: CHARITY is the fame with benevolence or love; and is the term uniformly employed in the New Teftament, to denote all the good affections which we ought to bear towards one another. It confifts not in fpeculative ideas of general benevolence, floating in the head, and leaving the heart, as fpeculations too often do, untouched and cold. Neither is it confined to that indolent good nature, which makes us rest satisfied with being free from inveterate malice, or ill will to our fellow creatures, without prompting us to be of fervice to any. True charity is an active principle. It is not properly a fingle virtue; but a dispofition refiding in the heart, as a fountain whence all the virtues of benignity, candour, forbearance, generofity, compaffion, and liberality, flow, as so many native streams. From general good will to all, it extends its influence particularly to those with whom we ftand in nearest connection, and who are directly within the fphere of our good offices. From the country or community to which we belong, it defcends to the fmaller affociations of neighbourhoods, relations, and friends; and spreads itself over the whole circle of focial and domestic life. I mean not that it imports a promifcuous undiftinguifhed affection, which gives every man an equal title to our love. Charity, if we fhould endeavour to carry it fo far, would be rendered an impracticable virtue; and would resolve itself into mere words, without affecting the heart. True charity attempts not to fhut our eyes to the diftinction between good and bad men; nor to warm our hearts equally to thofe who befriend, and thofe who injure us. I referves our esteem for good men, and our complacen for our friends. Towards our enemies it infpires forgivenefs, humanity, and a folicitude for their welfare, It breathes univerfal candour, and liberality of fentiment. It forms gentleness of temper, and dictates affability of manners. It prompts correfponding fympathies with them who rejoice, and them who weep. It teaches us to flight and defpife no man. Charity is the comforter of the afflicted, the protector of the oppreffed, the reconciler of differences, the interceffor for offenders It is faithfulness in the friend, public fpirit in the magistrate, equity and patience in the judge, moderation in the fovereign, and loyalty in the fubject. In parents, it is care and attention; in children it is reverence and fubmiffion. In a word, it is the foul of focial life. It is the fun that enlivens and cheers the abodes of men. It is "like the dew of Hermon," fays the Pfalmift," and the dew that descended on the mountains of Zion, where the Lord commanded the bleffing, even life forevermore." SECTION VIII. Profperity is redoubled to a good Man. BLAIR. NONE but the temperate, the regular, and the virtuous, know how to enjoy profperity. They bring to its comforts the manly relish of a found uncorrupted mind. They ftop at the proper point, before enjoyment degenerates inte difguft, and pleasure is converted into pain. They are ftrangers to thofe complaints which flow from fpleen, caprice, and all the fantastical diftreffes of a vitiated mind. While riotous indulgence enervates both the body and the mind, purity and virtue heighten all the powers of human fruition. It Feeble are all pleasures in which the heart has no share. The felfifh gratifications of the bad are both narrow in their circle, and fhort in their duration. But profperity is redoubled to a good man, by his generous use of it. is reflected back upon him from every one whom he makes happy. In the intercourse of domestic affection, in the attachment of friends, the gratitude of dependants, the esteem and good will of all who know him, he fees bleffings multiplied round him, on every fide. "When the ear heard me, then it bleffed me; and when the eye faw me, it gave witnefs to me : because I delivered the poor that cried, the fatherlefs, and him that had none 0 help him. The bleffing of him that was ready to per th came upon me, and I caufed the widow's heart to fing with joy was eyes to the blind, and feet was 1 to the lame I was a father to the poor; and the cause which I knew not, I fearched out." Thus, while the righteous man flourishes like a tree planted by the rivers of water, he brings forth alfo his fruit in its feafon : and that fruit he brings forth, not for himself alone. He flourishes, not like a tree in fome folitary defert, which scatters its blof. foms to the wind, and communicates neither fruit nor fhade to any living thing: but like a tree in the milft of an inhabited country, which to fome affords friendly fhelter, o others fruit ; which is not only admired by all for (S beauty; but bleffed by the traveller for the fhade, and by the hungry, for the sustenance it hath given. BLAIR SECTION IX. On the Beauties of the Psalms. GREATNESS confers no exemption from the cares and forrows of life; its fhare of them frequently bears a melancholy proportion to its exaltation. This the monarch of Ifrael experienced. He fought in piety, that peace which he could not find in empire; and alleviated the dif quietudes of ftate, with the exercifes of devotion. His invaluable Pfalms convey thofe comforts to others, which they afforded to himself. Compofed upon particular occafions, yet defigned for general ufe; delivered out as fervices for Ifraelites under the Law, yet no lefs adapted to the circumftances of Chriftians under the Gofpel; they prefent religion to us in the most engaging drefs; communicating truths which philofophy could never investigate, in a ftyle which poetry can never equal; while hif tory is made the vehicle of prophecy, and creation lends all its charms to paint the glories of redemption. Calculated alike to profit and to please, they inform the underftanding, elevate the affections, and entertain the imagination. Indited under the influence of HIM, to whom all hearts are known, and all events foreknown, they fuit mankind in all fituations: grateful as the manna which defcended from above, and conformed itself to every palate. The fairest productions of human wit, after a few pe-. rufals, like gathered flowers, wither in our hands, and lofe their fragrancy: but thefe unfading plants of paradife become, as we are accustomed to them, ftill more and more beautiful; their bloom appears to be daily heightened; fresh odours are emitted, and new fweets extracted from them. He, who has once tafted their excellencies, will defire to taste them again; and he who tastes them oftenest, will relish them best. And now, could the author flatter himself, that any one would take half the pleasure in reading his work, which he has taken in writing it, he would not fear the lofs of his labour. The employment detached him from the buftle and hurry of life, the din of politics, and the noise of folly. Vanity and vexation flew away for a feafon; care and difquietude came not near his dwelling. He arofe, fresh as the morning, to his tafk; the filence of the night invited him to purfue it; and he can truly fay, that food and rest were not preferred before it. Every pfalm improved infinitely upon his acquaintance with it, and no one gave him uneafinefs but the laft: for then he grieved that his work was done. Happier hours than thofe which have been spent in these meditations on the fongs of Sion, he never expects to fee in this world. Very pleasantly dfd they pafs; they moved fmoothly and fwiftly along for when thus engaged, he counted no time. They are gone, but they have left a relish and a fragrance upon the mind and the remembrance of them is sweet. SECTION X. Character of Alfred, King of England. HORNE THE merit of this prince, both in private and public life, may, with advantage, be fet in oppofition to that of any monarch or citizen, which the annals of any age, or any nation, can prefent to us. He feems, indeed, to be the complete model of that perfect character, which, under the denomination of a fage or wife man, the philofophers have been fond of delineating, rather as a fiction of their imagination, than in hopes of ever feeing it reduced to practice fo happily were all his virtues tempered togeth er; fo juftly were they blended; and fo powerfully did each prevent the other from exceeding its proper bounds. He knew how to conciliate the moft enterprifing fpirit with the coolest moderation; the most obftinate perfeverance, with the easiest flexibility; the moft fevere justice, with the greatest lenity; the greatest rigour in command, with the greatest affability of deportment; the highest capacity and inclination for science, with the most shining talents for action Nature alfo, as if defirous that fo bright a production of her skill should be fet in the faireft light, had bestowed on him all bodily accomplishments; vigour of limbs, dignity of fhape and air, and a pleasant, engaging, and open countenance. By living in that barbarous age, he was deprived of hiftorians worthy to tranfmit his fame to pofterity; and we wish to fee him delineated in more lively colours, and with more particular strokes, that we might at least perceive fome of thofe fmall fpecks and blemishes, from which, as a man, it is impoffible he could be entirely exempted. SECTION XI. Character of Queen Elizabeth. HUME. THERE are few perfonages in hiftory, who have been more exposed to the calumny of enemies, and the adula |