tions which the truly religious only enjoy.

"It has brought the avowed vengeance of Heaven on many nations, and few abandoned wretches have ever been brought to the scaffold to make atonement to the laws of their country for their offences, who have not dated their profligacy and consequent misery from it in particular.

"If you have ever been residing in any of the mountainous districts of Scotland, that are remote from the town, and the public roads, you must have witnessed the holy solemnity with which the Sabbath is there observed ?" "Yes, said I, often have I been a sharer in these scenes of calm and peaceful devotion, where every voice and every heart is love, and the pleasures which a review of them raise in my mind are the most exquisite and refined of any that recollection can now furnish me with. As you seem to be well acquainted with the city manners, Sir, if you would be so kind as to write me a true description of a Sabbath-day in town, I have a young friend who will give me a description of one in the country, and I will publish them both in the Spy together, which will be extremely interesting, and the striking contrast may be conducive in opening the eyes of my readers?" Your readers!" said he, raising himself half a foot higher in the seat-" you will publish them! will you? What! said he, are you the Spy?" I was miserably taken in by this blunder, and did not know which way to look. "No, Sir, I'm not the Spy, said I?-but-I-I wish you a good day, Sir." The old gentleman was cocking his eyes, and looking first over one shoulder, and then

over the other, as if suspicious of a Spy in every corner of the room; and as I went out, I overheard him swearing to himself, that no man was sure of a word he said; for there were more Spy's than one.

I went home, repeating to myself the old adage, “It is impossible to please every body." Since I began to publish the Spy, I am certain I have conversed with an hundred people about the best manner of conducting it. Some who knew me, and some who did not; and I think there has never been three of them who proposed the same thing, or the same subjects: so as I find it is impossible to please every body, I will in future endeavour only to please myself; which I am convinced every writer must first do, before he can please others.

Such as have feelings, and modes of thinking, congenial with mine, will be pleased; and when I hear others complaining of me, I will draw my chair a little closer to the fire, rub my hands, and repeat my old and true adage, “It is impossible to please every body.""This," says an anonymous writer, "is the consoling reflection which softens a thousand disappointments. It is an expressed, if not a tacit encomium on ourselves, meaning that we have attempted what is impossible, and that it is no discredit to have failed where none have succeeded. The glory of the attempt is considered as something to boast of, although it may be questioned whether it be a compensation for the disappointment. Men often attempt what is impossible, with full assurance, from the experience of others, that it is so, yet with a degree of confidence in success, which, however common, is not

very consistent. The truth is, self-love, or self-conceit, inclines us to think that there is something in our case that may form an exception. Every adventurer in the lottery is convinced, that one only can carry off the great prize, but every adventurer takes the liberty to think, that that one must be himself. That time is precious, and death certain, are convictions of a similar kind, yet how few think that their own time flies, and their own death approaches? "It is impossible to please every body," is the consolation of the statesman, when his popularity is on the wane of the politician, whose schemes have been rejected—of the divine, who sends away half of his congregation in ill-humour, and whose next effort is made to empty pews-of the tradesman, whose customers have deserted him-and of the author, whose works are read by few. Indeed, the latter class of men are exposed to many more disappointments than the others: they are liable to be rejected by the ignorant, who cannot understand-by the wealthy, who will not read-by the critics, who are pleased with finding faults-and by the churl, who is determined not to be pleased at all.

It is necessary, therefore, to possess a higher consolation, than is derived from the vain reflection, that we cannot perform that which is impossible; and such consolation is in the power of any man to possess. The due performance of our duty may fall short of the expectations of some; but if it be according to our best abilities and judgment, it cannot fail to give satisfaction to all whom to please is an object of consequence. It is impossible that our con

duct, thus regulated, can forfeit the good opinion of any man of reflection. It may excite envy, provoke to jealousy, and even incur the malignity of revenge; but it must nevertheless be the theme of approbation. If we adhere to our duty, unambitious of applause, and unmoved by censure, we inevitably attract the one, and disappoint the other. Censure, in this case, if rightly understood, is really applause, for who would entertain the vain hope of pleasing both the good and the bad? Laudari a laudato viro, to be praised by them whom all men praise, is a merit of a very superior kind. Of the rest of mankind we ought to take no account, or at least not to think so highly of their approbation, as to court it by sinister means— by concessions which are degrading, or compliances which are unmanly and wicked.

common,

In performance of certain of the du ties of life, some men have fallen into an error, which, although not very common, is to be mentioned, that it may in every possible case be avoided. They are so much pleased with the bare performance of that duty, as to think themselves above all the common modes of civility and gentleness; and that, if their morals are secure, they may dispense with manners. Such men do you a favour as if they intended to knock you down; and pay a debt in the way of business, as if their intention was to commit a robbery. Urbanity, however, is itself a duty; it enters as a very powerful and pleasing ingredient in the composition of philanthropy; and I know of no precept or example in sacred or profane history which can justify the neglect of it. If it proceeds

from the temper, it is too often incurable, or very difficult to cure; but a good man will notwithstanding try what can be done, or he will endeavour to compensate by those extraordinary exertions of active benevolence, which we are always ready to take in exchange for polite professions and affected kindness. Mildness of address, affability, gentleness of manners, or, in a word, all that we understand by good breeding, or politeness, are perfectly consistent with piety and virtue; and where they serve to smooth the surface of life, and remove asperities; where they serve to attract men to the imita tion of better qualities, of which they are but the ornaments; who would not wish to cultivate them? It is certainly impossible to please every body, but no man is displeased because he is treated with civility; and no man, I may venture to affirm, was ever in love with rudeness and harsh manners.

To conclude, May we not argue, that to please all men is not more an impossibility than an absurdity? May we not say, in the energetic language of Johnson," It would be impossible if endeavoured, and it would be foolish if it were possible?" Our pursuits are bounded in a certain degree. It may be our lawful interest and our harmless desire to please a certain number, but beyond them neither our interest nor our pleasures can lie; and it must be repeated, that every effort which we make, is nconsistent with our duty, which takes from our virtue, impairs justice, or vitia es truth, however successful such an effort may be; is a meanness of which we cannot fail to be ashamed, and an acquisition

which we cannot long keep. The writer who flatters his readers, smooths over their follies, and encourages their vices, may please some; and among these, may be the persons whom it is his interest to please; but he has departed from the manly dignity of genius, and has incurred the imputation of prostitution. The tradesman who, fearful of the loss of business, behaves with equal civility and equal gratitude to the poorest as well as to the richest of his friends, has done his utmost to give universal satisfaction. But when he cringes only to the rich, and violates truth to all, he ought to remember that servility is followed by contempt, and that a lie may be detected.

STORY OF THE GHOST OF
LOCHMABEN,

BY JOHN MILLER.

THERE lately lived a man in the ancient royal burgh of Lochmaben, whose wife being long unhealthy, became at last so debilitated, as to be confined for the most part to her bed. The man regarded her but very little, but staid almost constantly with another woman who lived in the same house.His wife was miserable, and would still have been more so, had not a neighbour taken compassion upon her, and attended her as much as lay in her power.-Well, to make a long tale short, one morning the poor unhealthy woman was found drowned in a loch adjoining the town; and as all the burghers believed that she had put herself down,

they refused her Christian burial: and putting the body into a white deal coffin, they carried it out to the fields, and buried it deep betwixt two lairds' lands. About a week after this, the woman who had befriended the deceased, was sitting making a few porridge on the fire, about nine o'clock in the morning, and chancing to look over her shoulder, who was there standing, but the very identical woman that had lately died and been buried in the fields! The woman was not in the least terrified, as there was nothing horrible or disgusting in the whole appearance of the ghost, (for so it certainly was,) but, on the contrary, looked to her with the greatest mildness and serenity in its countenance; and it being `high forenoon, she instantly spoke to it"Heaven preserve us all!" said she, naming her," are you there? I thought you had been dead?" "So I am," said she, my poor frail body is dead, and lying rotting in a dishonourable grave, nevertheless I am still existing, and will be for evermore: and as you had a real friendship for me, and have suffered so severely both in your body and mind on account of what hath happened, I am permitted thus to visit you, in order to assure you, that I did not put an end to my own life: it was my husband that did it, who felled me with a bottle, and then carried my body out in the dark, and threw it into the loch. How could any reasonable creature suppose that I had drowned myself, who have not been able to walk so far these two years? Farewell; depend upon the truth of this. Be comforted and stedfast, and you and I shall meet again, not far hence, in a better world than

this." The ghost was standing all this while just within the door, and on saying this, went out, still keeping its face to the woman, and smiling with the utmost benignity. The woman followed instantly, but saw no more of it; and the same day, being perfectly convinced that the whole she had heard from the apparition was certainly true, she went and acquainted the magistrates with every circumstance of it, but they only laughed at her; and desired her, for her own sake, never to mention it again, else she would be accounted mad. The woman still, however, persisted in maintaining it to be certain truth, and offered to take an oath before them that it was so, but was still disregarded. The news, however, spread through the town like fire. The people clamoured, and blamed their magistrates, and insisted on a scrutiny; so that, on the third day after the intelligence had been received from the ghost, and the tenth after her death, the magistrates, surgeons, and ministers, with a great multitude, went out to the fields, raised and examined the body; and, wonderful to relate, found, that the skull on the back part of the head was actually broken in by a stroke, which had occasioned her death, and which had not before been observed. The body was removed to the church-yard-the man was secured, and lodged in jail-and the people of Annandale were struck with wonder and astonishment. He was tried at Dumfries before the circuit court. The woman swore to every circumstance communicated to her by the ghost; but the prisoner's counsel insisted on the ghost's personal appearance, and verbal accusation; but this witness not