was the well-known Gaius* of the county where he lived,the lover of good men, of whatever name or title: he was purified in the furnace of affliction; but his trials are now terminated, and he has entered on those blest abodes where rest is promised to the weary, and where sorrow and sighing flee away.† The editor trusts he shall be pardoned this short indul. gence of awakened feeling towards one who was his fatherin-law, and who eminently united to the interesting qualities that adorn the man, the principles and graces that constitute the Christian. Nov. 15, 1816. "My dear Madam,--Permit me to exercise the Christian privilege of at once condoling and consoling you. Often have I felt with and for you, as it has long respected your depart. ed son; yet I doubt not, every pang of his, and every grief, have alike had their allotted embassy, and that a message of mercy to both. The valley of tears is strewed with rocks and thorns, and the pathway often lies through deep waters; yet the rocks are placed there by him who is emphatically the Rock; the thorn of care is not unaccompanied by the Rose of Sharon; and in the deep waters God has promised to de. liver. If this valley be a wilderness, it is one through which his people are journeying, and in the midst of its darkest shades they fear no evil, for He is with them; his rod and staff are their support and consolation. It is not so, my ho nored friend? That you and I may ever prove it, is the sincere prayer of my dear wife and of your affectionate friend, LEGH RICHMOND.' 66 Nov. 23, 1816. 'My dear Madam,—Allow me once more to express the friendly solicitude which I feel for you and my honored friend Mr. Livius, under your recent and present trial. His strength A name given to him, expressive of his hospitality. St. Paul alludes to Gaius, as the host by whom he was entertained. Romans xvi, 23. The following anecdote deserves to be preserved, relating to this gentleman. He was formerly resident in India, where he held an important office, in the time of Warren Hastings. Being some time after requested by Mr. Burke, who conducted the celebrated impeachment of Governor Hastings, to furnish him with some fresh charges, of which it was known that Mr. Livius was in possession, the latter inquired what number he already intended to pre fer? "We have now,' replied Mr. Burke, "twenty-seven charges against him." "Then," said Mr. Livius, "1 will not add one more to the number, for you have twenty too many." The death of one of their sons, and the dangerous illness of Mr. Livius. spirits would not admit of my saying all which my heart dictated when I saw him yesterday. I wish him to know how much I have valued his friendship, and how gratefu! I feel for a series of hospitality and kindness of no ordinary character, for a period of now near eleven years. I wish him to know that I have ever been a sympathyzing observer of his bodily sufferings; and have entertained a cordial esteem and regard for his many amiable and excellent qualities of head and heart. "The confidential intercourse with which, at various periods, he has been pleased to favor me, cannot be obliterated from my recollection, nor effaced from my affections. It is my heart's prayer that his consolations may be neither few nor small;' that the peace of God may be his resting-pillow, and that God will make his bed in all his sickness." 6 Not one affliction has ever befallen him beyond what his heavenly Father designed for his present and eternal good. Wisdom, mercy, power, and faithfulness, have guided all. May each of his children be blessed with a heart taught by the same spirit who hath taught him and you to look to the Strong One for help; and may they be effectually preserved from the snares and delusions of this present evil world. 66 May you, my dear friend, be upheld by a Saviour's power and love, to fulfil every arduous task which his wisdom assigns you. Forgive this intrusion, solely prompted by grateful friendship. Accept our united assurances of love for you and yours." Dec. 18, 1816. "My very dear friend,-It is fit that the same moment which brings me the long-expected, yet afflicting tidings of my much-loved friend's departure from this vale of tears, should dictate a few sympathetic lines to his dear relict. Your mind has long waited this event, with Christian resignation. May the Spirit of power and peace bless his own preparation, now that the hour of trial has arrived! You have the prayers of many friends to mingle with your own. These, in God's sight, are riches. May you enjoy them spiritually and eternally. Tribulation worketh patience; patience, experience; experience, hope;' hope thou therefore in God. Time is swiftly passing away, and its stream is gradually. absorbed in eternity. Our years roll on, and we shall soon be there; and there we shall meet those who have loved Christ, and loved us. There, dear madam, in the bosom of your Saviour and God, you shall meet your dear husband, Till then, may faith, hope, peace, tranquillity, and love, gilđ your horizon, like resplendent clouds round the setting sun, prophetic of a bright approaching morning. Christ has bequeathed his peace to you ;- take it as his legacy, and use it to his glory. Mrs. Richmond unites in affectionate regards to you and all yours, under this present trial, with your af fectionate friend, LEGH RICHMOND.' We close the chapter with a pleasing little poetical effusion, written about the same time : A WIDOWED MOTHER'S ADDRESS TO HER DAUGHTER ON THE DAY OF HER MARRIAGE. Say, why should my bosom thus heave with a sigh, This sigh is the tribute of tenderest love, And I trust shall be heard in the mansions above; For it breathes a warm prayer to the Bridegroom of heaven, May He weave thee a garland on this nuptial morn, May his true wedding robe, which he purchased with blood, May my child and her partner, in holy connexion, Thus thy marriage on earth a sweet emblem shall be, Peace be with you, my children! I speak without guile, CHAPTER XII. Letter-Poetry-Description of lake scenery-Brief account of his first tour to ScotJand--His sentiments on Oratorios-Tribute to the memory of his mother, &c. Ir was usual with Mr. Richmond to mark with peculiar solemnity the birthdays of himself and all his family. Those he kept as a kind of religious festival ;-writing letters to the different members of his family, and preaching to his parishioners on an appropriate subject. The following letter he wrote to his mother on one of these occasions. 'My dearest Mother. The return of this day demands a return of affectionate regards to God, the author of my being, and to you, the instrument employed by him to convey life and existence to my unworthy self. Often do I reflect with love and gratitude on your kindness and watchful care over me, from infancy to the present moment. Your qualities of heart and head cannot be forgotten, any more than the name of parent ;- -a title consecrated by every principle, divine and human. This being my birthday, I propose to preach on Psalm cxxxix, verses 14-18. How suitable for such a meditation! What a miracle is the life of man, viewed naturally, spiritually, and eternally! How incomprehensible, from the first to last! from conception to the cradle,—from the cradle to the grave,—from the grave to the resurrection,--from the resurrection through eternity! Then to consider the endless variety of frames, providences, events, souls, bodies, and spirts! Sometimes when I meditate on futurity, I am lost in inexplicable thought: I then see the importance of the mind's retiring into the consolations of the past and the present, as they rise from the revealed plan of salvation; and through that medium, even eternity assumes a solid and hopeful aspect. "If ever I felt it more than ordinarily due to a valued parent to express my gratitude, it is at a time when she has so kindly and so considerately met the peculiar circumstances of difficulty, in which a variety of events have conspired to place me. Between my last and present birthday many sorrows, many shocks to feeling, many heavy expenses have occurred; my heart has been tried to the utmost: but your affectionate, unupbraiding, and liberal conduct, has proved a great cordial to me and my dear wife, in all our trials. " The following letter will introduce to the reader a son of Mr. Richmond's, of whom we shall have occasion to speak more fully toward the close of this Memoir. The name, as has been observed, was given to commemorate that remarkable event of his own life which arose from the perusal of Mr. Wilberforce's work on Practical Christianity. This boy was now in his twelfth year; and we insert this letter prin. cipally to show the manner in which Mr. Richmond address. ed his children at an early age. "Shall I have no cause for heart-ache at my return, when I inquire how my child has behaved? how he has attended to his learning? how he has adhered to truth in his words? Shall I be comforted with the glad tidings that your heart, and your conscience, and your ways, all seem to par. take of a happy influence? That you show your love to mamma by keeping her commandments? That you pray to God to forgive you your sins, and hourly offences? Do the four walls of your little chamber bear witness to your prayers and supplications for yourself and me? Do the sun's rays, as they early penetrate your window in the morning, find you early and active to rise, to read, to labor, and grow in grace? "I saw Litchfield cathedral, and attended divine service there. It is a much smaller one than York, but has great beauty; the organ notes rolled sublimely through the vaults, arches, pillars, and roof; and the exquisitely painted windows assimilated with such sounds, and rendered the effect very fine. It has three beautiful spires. "One evening I travelled with a friend for three hours, amidst the most beautiful and never-ceasing distant lightning; the whole western hemisphere was in a constant blaze; the flashes alternated from one point of the horizon to another, distance about forty-five degrees from it; sometimes the flashes were silvery, sometimes yellow, sometimes orange, sometimes forked, sometimes sheet-like, sometimes so vivid, you seemed to have a peep into more distant regions of space; sometimes more faint; now and then you heard slight rumblings, then all was silent. At one point the flashes gleamed upon a distant view of a castle, which seemed all on fire, and was only rendered visible by the effect of the lightning. A dark forest lay behind, and formed a fine contrast. Sometimes the forked flashes hurried one another in a kind of playful progress; at others, they dashed together as if in |