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proper objects of their goodness; for nothing sure can 'be more irksome to a generous mind than to discover that it hath thrown away all its good offices on a soil 'that bears no other fruit than ingratitude.'

'I remember,' cries the doctor, 'Phocylides saith,

Μὴ κακὸν εὖ ἔρξης σπείρειν ἴσον ες ̓ ἐνὶ πόντῳ.*

'But he speaks more like a philosopher than a Christian. I am more pleased with a French writer, one of the 'best, indeed, that I ever read, who blames men for 'lamenting the ill return which is so often made to the 'best offices† A true Christian can never be disapเ pointed, if he doth not receive his reward in this world; 'the labourer might as well complain, that he is not paid เ his hire in the middle of the day.'

'I own, indeed,' said the gentleman, 'if we see it in ' that light-'

And in what light should we see it?' answered the doctor. 'Are we like Agrippa, only almost Christians? or, is Christianity a matter of bare theory, and not a 'rule for our practice?'

'Practical, undoubtedly; undoubtedly practical,' cries the gentleman. Your example might indeed have con'vinced me long ago, that we ought to do good to every one.'

'Pardon me, father,' cries the young divine, 'that is ' rather a heathenish than a Christian doctrine. Homer, 'I remember, introduces in his Iliad one Axylus, of whom he says,

-Φίλος δ ̓ ἦν ἀνθρώποισι

Πάντασ γὰρ φιλέεσκεν.†

But Plato, who of the heathens came nearest to the

*To do a kindness to a bad man, is like sowing your seed in the sea. † D'Esprit.

He was a friend to mankind, for he loved them all.

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'Christian philosophy, condemned this as impious doc'trine: so Eustathius tells us, folio 474.'

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'I know he doth,' cries the doctor, and so Barnes tells

us, in his note upon the place; but if you remember the ' rest of the quotation as well as you do that from Eustathius, you might have added the observation which Mr. 'Dryden makes in favour of this passage, that he found 'not in all the Latin authors so admirable an instance of extensive humanity. You might have likewise remem'bered the noble sentiment, with which Mr. Barnes ends 'his note, the sense of which is taken from the fifth chapter of Matthew,

ὃς καὶ φάος ἠελίσιο

Μίγδ ̓ ἀγαθοῖσι κακοῖσί τ ̓ ἐπ ̓ ἀνδράσιν ἐξανατέλλει.

'It seems, therefore, as if this character rather became a 'Christian than a heathen: for Homer could not have 'transcribed it from any of his deities. Whom is it, เ therefore, we imitate by such extensive benevolence?' 'What a prodigious memory you have,' cries the old gentleman; 'Indeed, son, you must not contend with the 'doctor in these matters.'

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'I shall not give my opinion hastily,' cries the son. 'I know again what Mr. Poole, in his annotations, says 'on that verse of St. Matthew-That it is only to heap 'coals of fire upon their heads-How are we to understand, pray, the text immediately preceding? Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you.'

'You know, I suppose, young gentleman,' said the doctor, how these words are generally understood-The 'commentator you mention, I think, tells us, that love is 'not here to be taken in the strict sense, so as to signify 'the complacency of the heart; you may hate your 'enemies as God's enemies, and seek due revenge of

them for his honour; and for your own sakes too, you may seek moderate satisfaction of them; but then you เ are to love them with a love consistent with these things-that is to say, in plainer words, you are to 'love them and hate them, and bless and curse, and do 'them good and mischief.'

'Excellent! admirable!' said the old gentleman. 'You ' have a most inimitable turn to ridicule.'

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'I do not approve ridicule!' said the son, 'on such subjects.'

'Nor I neither,' cries the doctor, 'I will give you my opinion, therefore, very seriously. The two verses taken 'together contain a very positive precept, delivered in 'the plainest words, and yet illustrated by the clearest instance, in the conduct of the Supreme Being; and lastly, the practice of this precept is most nobly in'forced by the reward annexed-that ye may be the 'children, and so forth. No man, who understands what 'it is to love, and to bless, and to do good, can mistake 'the meaning. But if they required any comment, the scripture itself affords enow. If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink; not rendering evil 'for evil, or railing for railing, but contrariwise, blessing— เ They do not, indeed, want the comments of men, who, 'when they cannot bend their minds to the obedience of ' scripture, are desirous to wrest scripture to a compliance 'with their own inclinations.'

Most nobly and justly observed,' cries the old gentleman. Indeed, my good friend, you have explained the 'text with the utmost perspicuity.'

But if this be the meaning,' cries the son, there เ must be an end of all law and justice; for I do not see how any man can prosecute his enemy in a court ' of justice.'

'Pardon me, Sir,' cries the doctor. Indeed, as an

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enemy merely, and from a spirit of revenge, he cannot, เ and he ought not to prosecute him; but as an offender against the laws of his country, he may, and it is his

duty so to do; is there any spirit of revenge in the 'magistrates or officers of justice, when they punish 'criminals? Why do such, ordinarily I mean, concern 'themselves in inflicting punishments, but because it is 'their duty? and why may not a private man deliver an offender into the hands of justice from the same 'laudable motive? Revenge, indeed, of all kinds is strictly prohibited; wherefore, as we are not to execute it with our own hands, so neither are we to make use of the law as the instrument of private 'malice, and to worry each other with inveteracy and rancour. And where is the great difficulty in obeying 'this wise, this generous, this noble precept? If revenge 'be, as a certain divine, not greatly to his honour, calls 'it, the most luscious morsel the devil ever dropped into 'the mouth of a sinner, it must be allowed at least to 'cost us often extremely dear. It is a dainty, if indeed 'it be one, which we come at with great inquietude, 'with great difficulty, and with great danger. However pleasant it may be to the palate, while we are feeding on it, it is sure to leave a bitter relish behind it; and so far, indeed, it may be called a luscious morsel, that the 'most greedy appetites are soon glutted, and the most eager longing for it is soon turned into loathing and repentance. I allow there is something tempting in its ' outward appearance; but it is like the beautiful colour ' of some poisons, from which, however they may attract our eyes, a regard to our own welfare commands us to 'abstain. And this is an abstinence to which wisdom 'alone, without any divine command, hath been often 'found adequate; with instances of which, the Greek 'and Latin authors every where abound. May not a

'Christian, therefore, be well ashamed of making a 'stumbling-block of a precept, which is not only con'sistent with his worldly interest, but to which so noble เ an incentive is proposed?'

The old gentleman fell into raptures at this speech, and after making many compliments to the doctor upon it, he turned to his son, and told him, he had an opportunity now of learning more in one day, than he had learned at the university in a twelvemonth.

The son replied, that he allowed the doctrine to be extremely good in general, and that he agreed with the greater part; but I must make a distinction,' said he. However, he was interrupted from his distinction at present; for now Booth returned with Amelia and the children.

CHAPTER IX.

A scene of modern wit and humour.

IN the afternoon, the old gentleman proposed a walk to Vauxhall; a place of which, he said, he had heard much, but had never seen it.

The doctor readily agreed to his friend's proposal, and soon after ordered two coaches to be sent for to carry the whole company. But when the servant was gone for them, Booth acquainted the doctor that it was yet too early. Is it so?' said the doctor; why then, 'I will carry you first to one of the greatest and highest 'entertainments in the world.'

The children pricked up their ears at this; nor did any of the company guess what he meant; and Amelia